Prime Day from the perspective of a shopping cart

Most of the year I have a pretty relaxing job as an Amazon shopping cart. Sometimes certain items stay with me for weeks without ever being purchased; other times, especially before big celebrations like birthdays or Christmas, it gets full to the brim and I can hardly save myself from all the presents. And then of course there is the day that you wait months for as a shopping cart. The day that you look forward to and all the training from the last few years is put to use: Amazon Prime Day.

There is a crackling feeling in the air, the shopping marathon begins

As a virtual shopping cart, there is almost nothing more exciting for me than this day. The air literally vibrates with tension, there is a crackling sound in the air. Weeks before, I could feel how people were restless in front of their screens. Wish lists were created and filled with all sorts of products. And I’ve already been filled with all sorts of items: TVs, laptops, socks galore – yes, even a fitness mat that will probably never be unpacked. But what the heck, the prospect of a 3,000 percent discount makes some bargain hunters like to go a little over the top.

And then it’s finally midnight, it starts and I’m ready like never before. People frantically click through the categories – “Electronics”, “Fashion”, “Household Appliances” and back again so as not to miss any deals. I can literally feel my heart pounding. More and more products end up in my head, often a colorful hodgepodge of goods that you don’t actually need, but that have the magical words “Minus xxx percent” on them. In the first few minutes after midnight, the wheat is separated from the chaff, the experienced shoppers from the helpless bargain hunters.

While some customers approach the matter very specifically and precisely work through their wish list to see which product is available at a (supposedly) cheaper price, others fall into a real panic. “What if the TV sells out in the next five minutes? I have to strike here now. “I don’t actually need one, but with a 4,000 percent discount it would be stupid not to buy it right now,” is how some customers think.

Sometimes we shopping carts laugh behind the scenes at this hustle and bustle. Because we know that the price is unlikely to change and the 5,000 percent discount offered is more apparent than real. And that the prices may be artificially raised slightly before the big discount days, such as Prime Day or Black Friday, in order to then offer the highest possible discount on the day of the sale. Of course I can’t know that as a shopping cart, but you get a lot of things if you’re there long enough.

The crucial moment: checkout or abandonment?

But back to the topic, because now things get exciting! The infamous moment that I dread every year comes: the abortion. Oh yes, this is the dark side of Prime Day. People throw everything into the virtual shopping cart, only to delete everything again shortly before they are finished or not even go to the checkout. There I lie, full to the brim with all these fantastic products, only to be emptied again with a single, devastating click.

Was it just me, I then ask myself. What did i do wrong? Why did the customer leave me? Isn’t the new TV so great? Was the intention to do more sport in the future just a flash in the pan and the new dumbbells aren’t needed after all? Could I have made more as a shopping cart? The questions torment me.

After Prime Day is before Black Friday

But there’s no time to ponder, because after all, Black Friday isn’t far away and then the spectacle will move on to the next round. Again I fill myself with technology gadgets, fashion items and even more unnecessary fitness equipment. Customers are frantically clicking through their tabs as if their lives depend on it. It’s as if she thinks the perfect deal is lurking around the corner, just a click away.

But sometimes even an experienced shopping cart like me reaches its limits and you feel like you’re on a roller coaster. The customer pulls me in every direction, deleting items, adding new ones, moving from electronics to children’s toys to garden tools and back again. Then I even lose track of all the products that have come together. But then comes the moment you’ve been waiting for all the time: checkout.

The feeling when a customer finally clicks “Pay” cannot be compared to anything. It’s like crossing the finish line in a marathon. Do I feel a sense of pride at this moment? Naturally. The customer is satisfied and the packages will soon be on their way.

So ended another year in the wild battle for the best deal. I’ve seen everything as a shopping cart – from the biggest bargains to the craziest bad buys. And I can’t wait to compete again next year.